Verse 4.18
In this human body there are seventy-two thousand energy channel doors. Among them, the very kind flow energy channel is Joy Divine Power (the divine power of Joy Bringer), and all the rest of the channels are pointless.
The energy channels in this body are beyond count, yet because they face toward the illusion of the world (have their mouths turned toward the illusion of the world), humankind faces away from God. Indeed, in the body, there is only this one upfacing (mouth-up) very kind flow energy channel that turns humankind toward God. That energy channel is both an energy channel and the divine power of Lord Joy Bringer.
Guidance (View of the Path)
Verses 4.19 and 4.20
The aspirant should do the kind of continued practice by means of which the life energy vital air becomes known; let it [the life energy], along with the fire of yoga, awaken the
evolutionary divine power and enter the very kind flow unimpeded. When the life energy flows in the very kind flow, the mind-beyond-mind state is accomplished. Afterward, other continued practices in addition to this become pointless for the yogi.
The journey of the mastery of the organs, sun-moon yoga, or with-seed equanimity is very long. Traveling (moving) on and on, even the steadfastness and prowess of very high-ranking great yogis get exhausted. The aspirant must therefore do continued practice after accepting the support of natural yoga, or accomplishment yoga; then he can make some part of the journey, otherwise the journey is not possible. The aspirant of natural yoga does natural systematic practice for years. But if anyone says, 'Suspend the life energy', although he does suspend the life energy, in a short time he has to expel it. He does not succeed in performing the hold for very long. Shame overcomes him. He begins pondering in the mind, 'I am a veteran yogi, yet I am unable to stabilize the vital air for a long time. Why is this the case?'
Even though he continues searching, he does not find the answer. Is there some defect in his systematic practice?
No.
Then why is this the case?
It is because this is a step of natural systematic practice. Until the vital air enters into the very kind flow energy channel, nothing-but-hold does not manifest, and until nothing-but-hold manifests, the power for the stabilization of the vital air does not arise in the aspirant. The aspirant does natural systematic practice for years, yet he does not have a special acquaintance (encounter) with the vital air. A special acquaintance with the vital air occurs when the root lock is accomplished. During that time period [those years], he does not have even a trace of acquaintance with the fire of yoga. Yes, now and then he has an ordinary encounter with the digestive fire through the practice of posture, the suspension of the life energy, energy seal and the withdrawal of the senses, but there is absolutely no acquaintance with the fire of yoga; this occurs in the end. When the quantity [intensity] of the fire of yoga increases in the body, he experiences the soles of the feet being intensely heated, like iron objects put in a fire are heated. Not only that, it seems as if some venomous creature (animal, insect) were biting (stinging) the blood, and as if the flesh and the other constituent elements inside the body were melting (dissolving). This is the first level of the formation of the divine body. Ancient seers and sages have used the term 'burning austerity' in yogic scripture deliberately. The term 'burning
austerity' means to purify the body and mind by heating (melting [as metals]) by means of the fire of yoga. So yogis are called burners of impurity. In The Yoga Darshana of Great Seer Patañjali, there is a description of purifying action yoga. It is constituted in part by burning austerity, self-inspection (study of the self), and surrender to God. Burning austerity is in the beginning [of the final level of purifying action yoga], self-inspection is in the middle, and surrender to God is in the end. In The Shandilya Upanishad, Shandilya says, 'The yogi who, through the continued practice of yoga, makes the life energy in the body like fire or a little less than fire, is the best yogi.'
It says in the verse (4.19), ' . . . the life energy vital air becomes known; let it, along with the fire of yoga, awaken the evolutionary divine power and enter the very kind flow unimpeded.' In an earlier discussion, we learned when the life energy vital air is known and how the fire of yoga is produced. Although what is meant by the awake evolutionary force was made clear in earlier references, let us repeat it here. As long as the continued practice of the lower energy centers is going on, the mouth of the very kind flow energy channel remains closed, therefore the
evolutionary force remains downfacing, but when the continued practice of the command energy center and the other upper energy centers is going on, the evolutionary force becomes upfacing, the closed mouth of the very kind flow opens, and the vital air enters it; this is what is meant by 'going on the dorsal path'. When the life energy flows in the very kind flow energy channel, the mind-beyond-mind state is accomplished without effort; with this [the
accomplishment of this state], other continued practices leave by themselves.